Apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of cans



Get. 30, 1928.

B. E. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LOOSE PARTICLES FROM THE INTERIOR OF CANS Original Filed June 18, 1925 7 W "W fi/ 7 w w F w r A 3 J .WI 0 II v 0 J i J H J W m 8 7 INVENTOR 5UF7 75? BY Q ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30,1928.

'uNiTiEDl-sT TEs TENT O FICE.

' BURT E. TAYLOR, on MOUNT vnnnon, NEWYORK, ASSIGNQR To THE Bonn-1n com PANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

, 7 Original application fil ed June 18. 1 925,

-erly washed APPARATUsnoR nnivrovme oosE TARTTCLns neon THE INTERIOR. on CANS. k

The invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for removing looseparticles from 3 the interior of tin cans and more particularly from the inner surfaces thereof. The present application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 37,928, filed June 18, 1925. The invention has been developed in connection with preparing tin cans for receiving food products, that is, cleaning and steriliz ing them before the food products are introduced'into the cans and hermetically sealed therein. The object of the invention is to provide a device for expediently and. efliciently removing loose particles from the interior of the cans, such as particles of dust and moisture, in order that the cans may be propoperation. To this'end the invention consists in the improved apparatus hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in' the appended claims In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the improved apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of cans; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. If is a detail of one end of the manifold of the vacuum device.

The apparatus as illustrated 'inthe drawings isshown' as occupying a portion of a can runway through which the cans 18 pass from the point of manufacture or storage to the point where they are sterilized or' otherwise acted upon.

end of the runway (facing Fig. 1) and are discharged hrough' theright hand end. The can runway is of usual construction and consists ofthe bottom plate 20 and the side rails .21. The cans may befed into the portion of g the runway shown in the drawings by feeding devices or by gravity. At the point 22 in the runway the cans and advanced into position for the operation of removing any loose particles of dust or moisture from theinterior of the cans. The

belt 23 passes over the pulleys 25 and 26 mounted respectively on the shafts 27 and 28 which passes a belt 31 which may be driven journaled in the up'rights 29 rising from the bottom wall 20 of the runway. On therear end of the shaft '27 is mounted a pulley 30 over Serial No. 37,925. Divided and this 1927. Serial No. 218,14

and dried prior to the sterilizing I The cans [enter the left hand are engagedby a belt 23 application filed; September 8,

from any convenient source of power.' The I cans are engaged by the lower section 33 of the belt 23 and-rolled into position for the particle remov ng operation. i

In the arrangement of the various devices shown 111 my said copending application for preparing tin cans to receive the food products, the apparatus of the present invention is shown and described as used for removing loose particles of dirt or dustfrom the inner surfaces of the cans prior to washing the inner surfaces of the cans with'water, and is thenused for-removmgthe loose particles of I moisture adhering to the inner surfaces of the cans so that the cans may enter a sterilizing chamber in a dry condition. It is thus seen that the present apparatus is equally well adaptedfor removing solid and liquid particles from the'interi'or and more particularly from the inner surfaces of cans. The term loose particles is intended to indicate and cover this double function of the apparatus.

of the conduit tubes 36 rising from a vacuum with a verticalslot 38 through which the dust The improved apparatus comprises a series of three nozzles 35 mounted on the upper end and other. loose particles in the horizontally I arrangedflcans are sucked. The vacuum manifold 37 may be connected by means of the flexible tube 34 with an exhaust pump or "othervacuum producing means (not shown).

The cans to be cleansed may be ofanypreferred construction,tl1e type shown operated upon by the apparatus comprises the usual cylindrical body having two circular ends.

In the "center of'one'of the ends is a relatively A small opening 39 (Fig. 1) through which the preserved product is introduced into the'can and which is afterwards closed by a sealing cap. By reason ofthis construction the nozzles 35 are offset forwardly from theconduit tubes 36, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the nozzles areinserted in the cans the ends 10 thereof will come relatively close to the inner surfaces ofthe cylindrical portions of the cans so as thereby effectively to suck up the particles of dirt therefrom; V The top and bottom sides of thelaterally compressed forward end of the nozzles are straight as shown in Fig.3, so that the top side 41may be brought close to the bottom oftlie can as indi- I o cated by the-dotted line 42 in Fig. 3, and so rolls 60 are caused to rise, thereby lifting that the bottom side 43 may be brought close to the inside surface of the top of the can.

The mechanism by which the nozzles "'35 are inserted intothe horizontally disposed" cans comprises two vertically arranged cam plates 45 extending rearwardly from the body portion of the apparatus. Each cam plate 45 is supported against a vertically arranged plate 47 secured to one of the rear legs 48 which together with the front legs 49 support .the apparatus.

In each .cam plate 45 is cut a cam groove 46 extending from the lower left hand corner of the cam plate, as shown in Fig. 3, to the'upper righthand corner of the cam plate. Each end of the vacuummanifold 37 1 is closed by a disc 50 provided on its outer side with a trunnion 51 adapted to ride in its respective cam slot 46.

Thenozzles 35 are inserted into the cans positioned opposite them by the-operative grasping the handle 53 secured .to and extending rearwardly from the manifold 37 and pulling outwardly and upwardly thereon.

This causes theupright conduit tubes 36 to fulcrum. or pivot upon the longitudinall arranged bar 54 located above the manifold 3 and secured at its ends at the inner edges of the cam plates 45. The pivoting of the con horizontallytowardthe cans so as to permit the operative to impart a reciprocating motion to the nozzles 35 and thereby cause the nozzles 35 to pass over the entire interior surfaces ofthe rotating cans to assure that. all

the loose dust or particles of moisture are removedfrom the interior of the cans.

When the three next untreated cans have been advanced opposite the three nozzles 35 by means of the lower section 33 of the belt 23, these positions being indicated by the cans I r58fiin' Fig. 1,-the cans are caused to rotate in their respective positions withoutadvancement while the nozzles are inserted into the 1 cans for the dust ormoisture removing operavtlon. Forthis purpose a serles of four pairs of rolls 60 are provided, equally spaced longitudinally: from the nozzles 35. These rolls 60 are pivotally mounted on the upper ends of uprights 61 passingfthrough openings 62. in

the bottom plate 20 of the can runway 15.

I The uprights 61 are mounted on a longitudinally arranged plate 63 supported at each end by a link 64 connected withthe inner ends f of the arms 65 of a lever 66 pivoted at67 in the brackets 68 secured to the inner sides ,of the'legs 49. Thelever 66 is provided with a handle 70. The, pairs of'rolls 60'arfe arranged to engage with the outer ends, of the cylindrical portions of the cans. 3 Bv depressing. the handle 70 the pairs of nozzle into the cans.

the three cans 58'from the bottom plate 20 of the can runway. The can's 58 are caused to rotate without linear motion. In order to assure anefiicient driving engagement between the section 33 of the belt 23 and the cylindrical sides of the cans, 58, two leaf springs 71 arefprovided which bear upon the upper surface of the section 33 of the belt 23. The springs 71 are supported from a. longitudinally arranged plate 72 mounted on brackets 73. secured to therearlegs '48. To recapitulate briefly the mode of operation of the apparatus When the next three succeeding cans have been advanced opposite the nozzles 35, the operative depresses the handle 70, therebylifti-ng the cansby means of the rolls 60 to permit the cans to rotate opposite the nozzles. Thereupon the handle 53 ofthevvacuum manifold is pulled outwardly and upwardly to cause the nozzles 35 I to enter the cans through the central openings 39 therein. When the conduit pipes 36' are in a horizontal position, indicated by the dotted lines 7 4,the operative imparts a reciprocatng motion to the nozzles which together with the'rotative movement of the cans'causes I the slotted endsof the nozzles to pass in close proximity to all arts ofthe inner surfaces j of the cans, there y assuring a thoroughremoval of loose particles of dirt or moisture,

from the cans. Afterthe canshave been to bepositioned overthe rolls 60 and opposite the nozzle s35, whereupon the steps of theoperation are repeated. i v I Having thus described the invention what 1. Anfapparatus for removing loose par ticles fromthe interior of tin cfansfandthe like comprising, means for rotatively suportin the cans means for rotatin the cans P Y b a g a nozzle arranged to'be connected with a vacuumizmg means, and means for lnsertmgthe 2. An apparatus for removing loose parj ticles from the interior of'tin cans andthe v like comprising, a series of rolls spaced apart e to rotatively support a series ofitin cans, means for rotat ng the cans, a. series of nozzles arranged to be connected 'witha 'vacuumizingfmeans,fand means for inserting the nozzles into the ca-ns'simultaneously. N v 3. An apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of cans comprising, a series of rolls adapted to' support a series of I cans in. horizontal position, a belt-forfeeding the cans over the rolls, means for l'ifting thej connected with a vaciiumizing means on rolls and cans against the belt; to cause the 1' cans to rotate without linear movement, a 'se-.

'ries of nozzles, a manifold arranged to be i i Y which the nozzles are mounted, upright plates having cam grooves for directing the nozzles into the cans and for permitting a reciprocating movement of the nozzles in the cans.

4. An apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of tin cans and the like comprising, a series of rolls normally out of the path of travel of the cans, a belt for feeding the cans over the rolls, vertically reciprocatable means upon which the rolls are supported, means for lifting the rolls to force the cans against the belt to cause the cans to rotate without linear motion, a series of nozzles, a manifold arranged to be connected with a vacuumizing means on which the noz zles are mounted, and cam surfaces by which the nozzles are directed into the cans and which permit the nozzles to be reciprocated within the cans. a

5. An apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of tin cans and the of rolls normally positioned below the run- Way, vertically reciprocatable means on l which the rolls are mounted, means for lift-- ing the rolls to force the cans against the belt to cause them to -rotate without linear motion, a; series of nozzles normally in upright position having offset upper ends pointed toward the open ends of the cans, a manifold arranged to be connected with a vacuumizing means on which the nozzles are mounted, and upright plates having cam grooves'in which the ends of the manifold are adapted to travel, said cam grooves being shaped to direct the oflset'ends of the nozzles into the cansand to permit a reciprocating movement of the nozzles within thecans.

6. An apparatus for removing loose particles from the interior of cans and-the likecomprising, means for supporting and-rotating a can, a nozzle having an ofl'set'end adapted to be connected with a vacuumizmg means, and means for supportlng the nozzle so that the ofiset end thereof may be inserted into and reciprocated' in the rotating can in close proximity with the interior surfaces thereof.

, BURT E. TAYLOR. 

